PlainPermit

Do I need a permit for a retaining wall in Seattle, WA?

Short answer: It depends on the details for a retaining wall in Seattle, WA (for example: Over 4 ft: permit).

Last verified: · Confidence: medium · Status: Verified from official source

Not legal advice. Always confirm with your local building department. Rules change, and your parcel's zoning, HOA, historic district, floodplain or utility work can change the answer. We show the official source and the date we last checked it so you can verify for yourself.
Depends on your project Confidence: medium

Some retaining walls and rockeries up to 4 ft (bottom of footing to top) need no permit. Taller walls, and walls in environmentally critical areas, need one.

What changes the answer

Cost

Fee not extracted; see SDCI fees. Unverified, confirm locally

Fee source: https://www.seattle.gov/sdci/permits/do-you-need-a-permit · All verified Seattle permit fees

Where to apply

Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections (Seattle Services Portal)

Permitting authority: Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections (SDCI); plumbing permits by Public Health – Seattle & King County. Rules differ in environmentally critical areas (steep slopes, wetlands, flood-prone areas). Plumbing and gas piping permits, including water heaters, are issued by Public Health – Seattle & King County, not SDCI. See also: how to apply for a building permit.

Official sources

“Some retaining walls and rockeries that are not over 4 feet in height measured from the bottom of the footing to the top of the wall”

Source: https://www.seattle.gov/sdci/permits/do-you-need-a-permit

Verified: · Status: verified · Confidence: medium

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Other projects in Seattle

Retaining wall permits in other cities

Compare retaining wall permit rules in all 25 cities · All Washington cities